Trawling device.



G. BELL.

TRAWLING DEVICE.-

- APPLICATION HLED AUG.!. 1917- 1,251,326. Pate-nted 590.25, 1917.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY G BELL.

TRAWLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Auah sn.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JhVEh an GEORGE BELL, OF OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

TRAWLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec 25 1917 Application filed August I, 1917. Serial No. 184,770.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE BELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Oroville, in the county of Butte and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trawling Devices, of which the following is a specifi cation.

My invention relates to improvements in trawling devices wherein a vertically disposed net operates in conjunction with horizontally disposed cables arranged at different depths below the net; and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an improved trawling device for the recovery of submerged and floating mines, torpedoes and the like;

Second, to provide an improved device of the character described adapted to be altered to conform to local submarine topography;

Third, to provide improved means for guarding the towing means against impact with floating or submerged mines, torpedoes and the like;

Fourth, to provide improved means for altering the depth of the device to conform to sub-marine topographical conditions.

I accomplish these several objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specifications wherein like characters of ref erence are used to designate similar parts through the said drawings and specifications, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved trawling device disclosing the towing means and the disposition of the wing nets;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device, with one half of one towing element removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detailed view in elevation as disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings disclosing the parts more in detail;

Fig. 4: is a side view of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view disclosing the manner in which one end of the main net is secured to the bow of the towing means.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate a net suspended from the surface of a body of water by means of suitable floats 2 each having a pair of annular ratchets 3 thereon and a pair of independent drums 4 rotatably mounted upon each float 2 between the said ratchets 3 as disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawings, each drum 4 being provided with an apertured flange 5 so that each drum may be rotated independently of the other by inserting a bar or other similar implement in one of the apertures.

Each drum at is provided with a spring controlled pawl 6 arranged to normally engage its respective ratchet 3 to prevent the rotation in one direction of the drums 1.

A pair of horizontally disposed cables 7 and 8 are arranged at different depths below the net 1, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fullydescribed.

A series of suitable weights 9 are attached at regular intervals to the lower cable 7 to sink or submerge saidcable 7 to sweep the bottom or floor of the ocean.

A series of vertically disposed cables 11 are secured at regular intervals to the lower cable 7 and, after passing upward through guide rings 14: secured to vertical strands of the net 1, to one of the drums l on each float 2.

A second series of vertically disposed cables 12 connect the upper horizontal cable 8 with the remaining drums 4 on each float 2, said cables 12 also passing through the rings 14. Each cable 12 is also provided with a ring 16 by means of which the cables 11 and 12 are slidably engaged to hold the vertical cables 11 and 12 together.

The cables 11 and 12 are preferably wound around their respective drums l in opposite directions as disclosed in Fig. a of the drawings to prevent the weight of said cables 11 and 12 from rotating the floats 2 in the water to wind the net 1 thereon.

Suitable trawlers or towing elements or means 17 are provided with bow-sprits or booms 18 having cables 20 secured to each end of the net 1.

Wing nets 19, similar in construction and arrangement to the nets 1, are suspended beyond and alongside of the trawlers 17 by means of suitable telescoping or other suitable booms 21 to prevent impact of floating torpedoes or mines with the trawlers.

The operation is as follows:

The trawlers l7 tow the net 1 and cables 7 and 8 suspended therefrom over a portion of the area to be trawled.

The cables 7 are adjusted to drag the ocean bottom or floor substantially directly underneath the net 1 by rotating thedrums 4 to wind or unwind the cables 11 until sufficient length is depending to bring the cable 7 nearly underneath the net 1 in a vertical line. This cable 7 is provided to engage and drag anchor chains or cables of moored submarine mines while the upper cable 8 is provided for the purpose of engaging and dragging the upper portions of said cables of the submerged mines.

The depth of the upper cable 8 may be adjusted by rotating the drums st to which it is attached until the desired depth or elevation of said cable 8 is obtained.

The net 1 is utilized for the purpose of engaging and dragging spent torpedoes or floating mines on or near the surface of the water.

The cables 7 and 8 are also arranged to be raised or lowered to an elevation relatively to the depth of the water being trawled, that would engage the periscope of a sul merged submarine, the sudden impact thereby causing the submarine to be tilted upward and carried to or near the surface by its momentum if not entirely overturned.

It is evident that the length of the cables 11 and 12 may be such as to permit adjustability of the depth of the cables 7 and 8 to various degrees and with a comparatively great range.

It is also evident that the depths of said cables 7 and 8 may be adjusted independently.

It is also obvious that the provision of the apertured flanges 5 of the drums l in conjunction with the opposite direction of the windings of the cables 11 and 12 will readily tend to assist in the adjustment of each cable 7 and 8 independently.

I am aware that the present state of the art discloses trawling devices having nets suspended from the surface of a body of water by means of floats and towed between two trawlers. I therefore do not wish to claim such a combination broadly as my invention, but

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A trawling device comprising a net; means for suspending the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables operatively connected to the suspending means; and means for independenly altering the distance between each cable and the net.

2. A trawling device comprising a net; means for suspending the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables operatively connected to the suspending means; and means for independently altering the distance between each cable and the net; and means for submerging the cables.

3. A trawling device comprising a net; means for suspending the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables operatively connected to the suspending means; and means for independently altering the distance between each cable and the net; and suitable weights to submerge the cables and the net.

at. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; means for suspending the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables arranged one above the other; means for suspending the cables at different depths below the net; and means for submerging the cables.

5. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the not from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables arranged at different depths below the net; means for independently altering the depths of each cable; and means for maintaing the submergence of the cables.

6. A trawling device comprising a verti cally disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables arranged at different depths below the net; means operatively connected to the cables and floats to independently alter the depth of each cable; and suitable weights to submerge the cables.

7. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a. body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables suspended from the floats and at different depths below the net; and means rotatably mounted upon the floats to alter the depth of the cables.

8. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables suspended from the floats and at different depths below the net; and means rotatably mounted upon the floats to alter the depth of the cables; and means for submerging the cables.

9. A. trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables suspended from the floats and at different depths below the net; and means rotatably mounted upon the floats to alter the depth of the cables; and suitable weights secured to the lower cable.

. 10. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water; a horizontally disposed cable suspended below the net; suitable weights to submerge the cable; vertically disposed cables connecting the horizontal cable with the floats; a second horizontally disposed cable slidably connected to vertically disposed cables; and independent means rotatably mounted upon the floats and operatively connected to each horizontal cable to alter the depths thereof.

11. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water; a pair of horizontally disposed cables suspended at diflerent depths below the net; suitable weights secured to the lower cable; a pair of drums rotatably mounted upon each float; means for independently connecting each cable to one of the drums to independently alter the depths of either cable by the rotation of its respective drum; and means for normally preventing the rotation of the drums.

12. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net from the surface of a body of water and each having a pair of annular ratchets thereon; a pair of horizontal cables arranged at diflerent depths below the net; suitable weights secured to the lower cable; a pair of drums rotatably mounted upon each float between the ratchets; a series of vertically disposed cables connecting the lower horizontal cable with one drum on each float; a second series of vertically disposed cables connected to the upper horizontal cable and to the remaining drum on each float, each vertical cable being slidably connected to one of the cables in the first mentioned series; and suitable spring controlled pawls pivotally mounted upon each drum to normally engage respective ratchets to prevent the rotation of the drums.

13. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats for suspending the net below the surface of a body of water; a pair of drums rotatably mounted upon each float; towing means to tow each end of the net; wing nets on each end of the net, extending beyond and along side of the towing means; means secured to the towing means for supporting each end of the net and the wing nets; a pair of horizontally disposed cables arranged at difl'erent depths below the net and the wing nets; suitable weights secured to the lower horizontal cables; means for independently connecting each horizontal cable below the first mentioned net with the drums whereby said cables may be raised or lowered independently of each other; and means for supporting the wing nets and cables below said wing nets alongside and beyond the towing means.

14. A trawling device comprising a vertically disposed net; suitable floats to suspend the net below the surface of a body of water; and having a pair of annular ratchets on each float; a pair of horizontally disposed cables arranged at different depths below the net; a pair of drums rotatably mounted upon each float; means for connecting each horizontal cable with one of the drums on each float to alter the depth of each cable independently; a spring controlled pawl pivotally mounted upon each drum and arranged to normally engage one of the annular ratchets to prevent the rotation of the drum; towing means for each end of the net; a wing net extending beyond and alongside of each towing means; and suitable weights secured to the lower horizontal cable.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

GEORGE BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

